Hello from Kiev. This is very old city, from which Russia was baptized in 988. I belong to the Orthodox Church. If to be precise, it is also called Catholic Church, in the Creed, and in official documents as well. I've put a photo of bishop Atanasije Jevtic (Serbian Orthodox Church), one of the most outstanding contemporary Orthodox theologians, - to show, why I'm an orthodox from the spiritual point of view. As Jesus Christ said of Nathanael in John 1:47 "Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile." The same feeling I have of this bishop - that he is absolutely honest. Here is a video interview with him about the Liturgy (with English subtitles), I reposted it from Google Videos to YouTube, because Google Videos will delete soon all the uploaded videos. Observe that he spent all his life studying the Church Fathers and the Church history, so how can I don't believe to him or many other orthodox theologians like him? Orthodoxy is not just beautiful icons, churches and services (although this is also important), - it is beautiful people, inside which Christ is formed (Gal. 4:19 "My little children, of whom I am in labour again, until Christ be formed in you.") and Holy Ghost lives (1 Cor. 6:19 "Or know you not that your members are the temple of the Holy Ghost, who is in you, whom you have from God: and you are not your own?"). What is my purpose for being here? First of all, it's very interesting for me to communicate with Roman Catholics: what do they know about the Orthodoxy, what are their arguments against it? It's easy nowadays to discuss with protestants, when they even bless homosexual marriages, but what can you say against the Orthodox Church? I think that forum is a good place for sharing important, interesting information, which is needed by the both sides of the dialogue, because, as one Roman Catholic theologian wrote to me, "I spent several months in Orthodox monasteries and love the Orthodox spirituality - just like our former pope did who recommended all Catholics to learn from the East." If I don't respond for some period of time - that's because I'm very busy now, - I'll respond later. If something is unclear in my posts due to my imperfect English - you may ask me in a private message or directly in a topic. Thank you for your attention!

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Last edited by Vadim on Thu Apr 21, 2011 11:52 am, edited 2 times in total.

I can say nothing against the Orthodox Church because the Orthodox Church is filled with saints and holy men such as St. Seraphim of Sarov. The Orthodox Liturgy is the most beautiful in the world and has not been tinkered with to satsify the cravings of men with carnal minds who wish to be quickly amused and dismissed. (i.e. the notorious clown Masses, the idea of Liturgical "dance" at Mass, and other nonsense that appeared after Vatician II).

It is a shame that some Orthodox do not recognize that there are holy men in the Catholic Church as well. It is a shame that fundamentalist types in both Orthodoxy and Catholicism point fingers at each other and make claims which deny the facts: there are holy men and saints in both Orthodoxy and Catholicism. It is a shame that they do not recognize that God works through both Orthodoxy and Catholicism to do His will and produce His saints. And it is a shame that we are not re-united after over 1,000 years apart. What a sad and terrible testimony to the world when Jesus said that He wished us to be one Church and to love each other as brothers.